Northrop Grumman's MQ-8C Fire Scout Prepares for Shipboard Testing

Posted On
Friday, 24 October 2014 18:36

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Naval
Defense Industry News - USA

Northrop
Grumman's MQ-8C Fire Scout Prepares for Shipboard Testing

Northrop
Grumman Corporation successfully completed precision sloped landing
tests Aug. 27 with the MQ-8C Fire Scout at Naval Base Ventura County,
Point Mugu, in preparation for at-sea testing. MQ-8C Fire Scout has
been undergoing rigorous flight testing and validation, which will culminate
in the actual takeoff and landing on the deck of a Navy vessel at-sea.
The MQ-8C is the company's latest variant of its successful Fire Scout
unmanned aerial system, which performs intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance missions for the U.S. Navy.

The Northrop Grumman-built MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter completed
its first flight Oct. 31 from Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu,
Calif. The flight validated the autonomous control systems of the aircraft.
The MQ-8C provides the U.S Navy with increased endurance, range, and
payload capacity. (Photos by Alan Radecki)

"The
sloped takeoff and landing tests are designed to be as real as it gets
to actually operating on a Navy ship," said Capt. Patrick Smith,
Fire Scout program manager at Naval Air Systems Command. "The autonomous
MQ-8C Fire Scout system is able to precisely track and understand the
roll and pitch of the surface which resembles at-sea conditions."

The sloped landing platform was previously used to test and certify
the MQ-8B Fire Scout for ship-based operations and is now being used
for the more capable MQ-8C. The MQ-8C is utilizing the same proven autonomous
system for takeoff and landings as the current MQ-8B model.

"The
MQ-8C Fire Scout system is performing as predicted and as previously
demonstrated during Fire-X testing back in 2011," said George Vardoulakis,
vice president for Medium Range Tactical Systems, Northrop Grumman.
"These tests enable a validation of our autonomous system and clear
the way for dynamic interface testing onboard the ship."

Since its first flight Oct. 31, 2013, the MQ-8C Fire Scout has flown
219 flights and 287 hours. The most recent tests on the MQ-8C have consisted
of electromagnetic testing, which assured compatibility with ship-based
emitters (like radar) and an initial phase of dynamic interface testing,
which looked at deck handling and communications networks. The MQ-8C's
first ship-based series of flights are planned for later this year.